"Only those who are not afraid to die for freedom are fit in a democracy for which a price was dearly paid."
These patriotic words are inscribed in a monument unveiled by the Philippine Army in honor of the Hunters-ROTC Guerrillas during the 78th-anniversary commemoration of the retaking of Fort Bonifacio (then called Fort McKinley) on February 16, 2023.
The bronze sculpture of a Hunters-ROTC rifleman depicts the Philippine Military Academy and ROTC cadets who bravely fought and defended the country from foreign invaders. The said sculpture stands on a defensive stance atop a 1.8-meter-high granite pedestal.
The sculpture’s pedestal has a dedication for the Hunters-ROTC Guerrillas who liberated the then-Fort McKinley from Japanese Imperial forces. It also features the original logo of the Hunters-ROTC Guerrillas who came from the cadet corps of the Philippine Military Academy and the Reserved Officers Training Corps of the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila, La Salle College, Far Eastern University, Jose Rizal College, Mapua Institute of Technology, Letran College, Philippine School of Arts and Trade, and San Beda College.
These young men formed the Hunters-ROTC Guerrillas, banding together to repel Japanese invaders during the Battle of Nichols Airfield and Fort McKinley in February 1945.
Photos by Private Divino S Lozano PA/ OACPA